Izusen Daiji-in is a japanese shojin-ryori restaurant in Kita Daitokuji, Kyoto.
Daitoku-ji shojin-ryori served in nested vermillion lacquer bowls modelled on a Buddhist begging bowl. Garden-view tatami inside the Daiji-in sub-temple.
Signature dishes: Daitokuji bento, Shojin nesting bowls
Must order: Tetsubachi ryori shojin set, served in seven nested bowls
Tip: Lunch only. Cash preferred. Combine with a Daitokuji walking tour.
Address: Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8231, Japan
The Sanjo flagship of Kyoto's largest yakiniku family, run from a Kyoto Sanjo shopping-street site since 1997. Japanese black wagyu cuts grilled tableside.
Signature: Wagyu sirloin, Tongue salt, Harami skirt
Order: Premium wagyu sirloin and tongue salt for two
Tip: Walk-ins possible at the counter, reservations needed for tables on weekends.
Tonkatsu born in Kyoto and exported nationally. The Sanjo flagship still grinds its own sesame for the dipping sauce; both loin and fillet plates.
Signature: Pork loin katsu, Black-pork katsu
Order: Premium-pork loin set with sesame-ground tonkatsu sauce
Tip: Free rice, miso and cabbage refills with every set; aim for the counter window.
An eight-seat Edomae sushi counter just off Hanamikoji in Gion, Kyoto, run by chef Iwa with Tsukiji-trained habits. 20-piece omakase, no menu.
Signature: Edomae sushi omakase
Order: Chef's omakase, 20 pieces over 90 minutes
Tip: Lunch is half the dinner price and easier to book; weekday seats open up two weeks ahead.
The grandmother of Kyoto obanzai counters. Daily-changing seasonal dishes set in clay pots along a tatami room since 1958, three minutes from Sanjo Station.
Signature: Obanzai counter spread, Simmered Kyoto vegetables
Order: Obanzai assortment with simmered ebi-imo and yuba
Tip: Walk-ins land easier at 17:30 dinner opening or after 21:30.
An obanzai counter five minutes from Hankyu Kawaramachi in Kyoto where the tofu plates outshine the rest. Daily set lunches, no reservations needed.
Signature: Tofu obanzai, Seasonal vegetable plate
Order: Daily tofu obanzai set with simmered fish
Tip: Cash only at lunch. Closed irregularly, call ahead in winter.
AWOMB Karasuma Honten in Nakagyo in Kyoto is the original teori-zushi machiya, around 50 seasonal vegetables and obanzai to assemble hand-rolled sushi.
Signature: Hand-rolled sushi tray, Obanzai mosaic plate
Order: Tesaki sushi assemble-your-own tray
Tip: Reservations open online a month ahead; weekend lunches sell out within hours.
